Don't Hold Me Up Now
by Guinevere2122
Summary: Tanya grew up on the Indian Reservation right outside of Charming, her father dealt with SAMCRO her whole life, so she knew who they were. When she was old enough and got married, she left Charming and left California. Now she needs them to save her life.
1. Chapter 1

((Okay I am well aware that I have three sons of anarchy fics going right now. I hadn't meant for this to happen, but while listening to Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against this idea struck me and I had to write it. I really hope you enjoy it as you have my others and leave me lots of feedback. Thank you!))

Tanya stared at herself in the mirror for the longest time. She was ready for this. She could do this. She reached up and touched the bruises on her face, blinking back the tears that filled her bright hazel eyes. She shook her head and took a deep breath as she turned herself around. She was wearing a simple outfit. A black v-neck t-shirt and a pair of well fitted dark jeans. She had her long dark brown hair pulled back in a tight pony tail. She stopped when she was facing the mirror again and she grabbed her make up and started putting it on to cover the bruises. All the other scars and marks were covered by her clothing. She had made sure of that. She sniffed a bit as she managed to make herself look less like she'd been beaten repeatedly for the last ten years. She was glad for that. She didn't need people feeling sorry for her. All her things were packed in her car. Her soon to be dead husband had headed to work. All she had to do was finish getting ready and then she could head home. She hadn't ever thought for a moment that she'd ever want to go back to that place but things change. People change. Something about this decision seemed right.

Tanya finally finished what she was doing and packed all her things in the bathroom and put them in her bookbag. She grabbed her i-pod and the charger for that, leaving her phone where it was. She'd pick up a prepay when she was out of town. She'd written down all the numbers that she needed. That wasn't many. Joe had made sure she never had friends. Never talked to anyone that he didn't want her too. He'd been smart when it came to controlling her. She hated him for that. She had fallen out of love with him less then a year after they had gotten married. She'd just been too scared to leave. Ten years. She had managed to survive the abuse and the torment. Ten years and she had finally decided she wanted to be free again.

Tanya wasn't a bad looking woman. She was in her mid-thirties, with caramel colored skin and bright hazel eyes and long dark hair. She was mixed, her mother had been white and her father Native American. She had got the best of both sides. She was only five foot and four inches tall, but she was curvy. She had married young, which had been a mistake now that she thought about it. She hadn't been ready to get married. She hadn't been ready for a lot of things. She made her way out to her car and dumped her bookbag in the passenger seat and walked around before climbing into the drivers seat. She pulled the door shut and started her car, sitting there for a moment before backing out of the drive way. It didn't take her long before she was finally on the road. Where she was headed, she thought she would always hate, but now, it was the only place left where she'd be safe.

The drive was a long one, almost seven hours. She had got herself a prepaid phone and made some calls. They were expecting her back. She was glad for that. She knew that Joe was well aware that she wasn't there anymore. He was probably trying to find her. He would have to go back to the one place he dragged her away from for that to happen. The one place she had been willing to leave because it hadn't been home to her then. Charming, California. She sighed a bit. She actually had grown up on a reservation about ten minutes outside of Charming, but her father had been the chief. He had worked closely with the bike club that was located in Charming. She knew most of the members. It had been ten years, she knew that some of them would be different now. She didn't mind really. However, she had kept one particular number after her father had passed away. Gemma Teller. That woman was tough as nails, and her husband was President of SAMCRO. She had kept that number because her father insisted that she might need it some day. She was glad she had. Gemma was waiting for her arrival back home. At least someone was, since not only was her father gone, as was her mother.

She saw the sign, the sun was just coming up, and she had driven through most of the night, stopping long enough to doze in and out for two or three hours, and get something to eat through the day. She blinked at the sight of the sign. Welcome to Charming. She gave a small sigh of relief and then pressed on. Only a few more miles and she would be there. She could rest, really rest, get some real food, maybe a shower and change her clothing. She hoped that she didn't cause any issues for anyone by being there. She didn't want to be a burden. She really didn't want pity or to be taken care of. She just needed a place to get back on her feet after all the years she'd spent locked away from the world.

She didn't need help finding Teller-Morrow automotive's. She didn't need help making her way through his town. Ten years and she still knew it like the back of her hand. It was funny how time didn't change much in this sleepy little town. She found the place, and she pulled up into the parking lot, and found a spot before shutting her car off. She sat there for a moment before checking to make sure that her bruises were still covered nicely before finally climbing out of her car. Gemma's Cadillac was there and she saw that the garage was opening up for business for the day. She took a deep breath as she started forward to find the woman. She hoped that she was really welcome here and that she wouldn't get grief when she actually saw Gemma face to face. She hoped that no one noticed how stiff she was, from the beatings and her body still healing from the latest of them. That no one picked up on the way she covered the bruises on her face. She wanted to stand on her own, she didn't need someone to hold her up. She was fully capable of healing. She just needed time to do it. A place to lay her head really.

Tanya looked around for a moment, taking in everything. She hadn't been here before without her father, back before she moved away, before she got married and her life went down hill. They hadn't come here often though, usually the men of SAMCRO went to them, went to the reservation where the local law couldn't touch them. It was a smart plan on their part honestly. She turned her attention back to the garage itself and not so much to everything surrounding it when she caught movement. She saw to whom she would assume was Gemma Teller coming out of the office with an older man and one she recognized growing up. Clay Morrow and Jackson Teller. Her husband and her son. She shook her head and started forward, feeling a bit nervous about all of this, though at this point she absolutely refused to second guess her decision. She deserved much better then what she had been dealing with over the last decade.

Gemma noticed Tanya and stopped and looked at her for a moment before touching her husband's arm and started forward. Tanya had stopped short herself, and really didn't know what to do from here. She hadn't known any of them really well, and she hadn't been in this place in so long. She was starting to feel like a stranger in her own home. That wasn't good at all. There was no way that could be considered okay. Right?

"Tanya Morrison?"Gemma asked as she stopped in front of the woman, looking at her closely as if she was looking for any reason to believe that it wasn't the girl.

"Yeah, Gemma, it's me."Tanya said, though she couldn't quite bring herself to meet Gemma's gaze. She hated that all the shit in her life had left her that broken, but she would find a way to better herself somehow.

"Oh goodness, baby, it's been so long."Gemma said and managed the most motherly smile that Tanya had ever seen, before embracing her.

Tanya had to fight off a wince, and her breath caught as Gemma hugged her tight. She was shaking as she was now in severe pain, but she managed to hug Gemma back. She was fighting off tears when Gemma pulled away, but she swallowed the pain and smiled back at Gemma.

"I'm so glad you made it here alright, you didn't have any troubles getting back to Charming, did you?"Gemma said, though the woman was studying Tanya, seeing past the mask that the poor girl was choosing to wear.

"Yeah I managed to get myself here without any problems, thanks for asking."Tanya answered honestly, because it had been true. She had left her phone, so Joe couldn't call her, and she had driven without thinking twice about where she was headed or why. No problems in that whole area.

"A few people from the reservation called, asking if you were coming into town, apparently Joe doesn't know where you are and called there looking for you."Gemma explained, lowering her voice so that this part of the conversation was just between Tanya and herself.

"I didn't tell him I was leaving, it would have never happened, and until I can get this issue with Joe actually taken care of, I think it's best my friends on the reservation don't know I'm back either,"Tanya replied softly.

"Alright, I can make sure that happens without an issue,"Gemma assured her, giving a smile and a nod of her head.

"Thank you Gemma, I'll make it up to you somehow."Tanya said softly and managed a smile of her own.

Gemma was getting ready to say something when a tall man with dark curly hair and bright blue eyes brushed past Tanya smiling at Gemma as he walked past, and Tanya seemed to freeze without meaning to. Gemma sighed and looked over at the man and frowned a bit, and he seemed to pause and finally take in the fact that he'd nearly ran someone down. He studied Tanya for a moment before looking at Gemma who was giving him a stern look.

"What?"He finally asked, before looking at the girl again,"What?"

"Apologize for acting like a brute."Gemma told him and put her hands on her hips.

"I didn't do anything, Gem,"The man argued lightly, before sighing and rolling his bright blue eyes before turning them on the girl,"I'm sorry."

"Oh...it's...it's really not a big deal, don't worry about it."Tanya managed to get out as she shoved her hands in her pockets so she would look less like she was getting ready to have a panic attack and more like she was trying to relax and speak with an old friend.

"See Gemma, I'm forgiven."The man said and gave her a cold smile.

"Tigger,"Gemma snapped lightly,"This is my friend, and you shouldn't just assume that she is actually forgiving you,"

"Gemma, darling, you know I didn't mean it, and clearly, being any friend of yours, had it really bothered her, she'd have let me know."The man, apparently called Tigger, which confused Tanya, said to Gemma, acting as if he were a child getting in serious trouble.

"Really, Gemma, it's alright,"Tanya said and managed a smile before looking at the man,"You're alright, I'm sure you just didn't see me standing there."

"See, I'm alright, just like the pretty lady said."The man said evenly,"Now can I go back to work?"

"Tig, seriously, you're an ape."Tanya heard someone else say and she looked over to see a man with long hair and a beard walking towards them, shaking his head and laughing.

"I didn't see her there, so I accidentally brushed past her, it's not like I tried to rape her or anything."Tig argued and rolled his eyes,"You guys can suck my dick."

Tanya just stood there for the longest time, just staring at the man with the icy blue eyes as he told the rest of them to suck his dick. She wasn't really sure what to do with him. He was a bit of a brute, but she wasn't really one to stand up to people. She knew that already. The bruises on her face proved that. She just rolled her eyes lightly and sighed before kicking at the ground a bit. She wanted a nap really. All that driving had taken everything out of her for the moment.

"Well Tig, maybe you should be a little more polite and everyone wouldn't be on your case all the time."Gemma said to him and rolled her eyes when he snorted at her. She wanted to smack the living daylights out of him sometimes.

"I don't know how to be polite, it's not in my resume."Tig retorted.

"Oh really now, and why do I have trouble believing that?"Gemma snapped right back,"Even Happy has a heart sometimes, so don't tell me you ain't some cold heartless bastard."

"Thanks Gem, gotta play that card, dontcha?"He said and rolled his eyes before looking back at Tanya,"Apparently I'm a brute, and apparently I have really upset you, though you don't look upset, so I'll apologize again, and my name's Tig Trager."

"Uh...once again, it's alright, and lovely to meet you Tig, I'm Tanya."She managed to reply, giving a small nod of her head, not really sure what else to say to that. She saw the glint in Gemma's eyes, the woman was thrilled she had won that one. Tanya wanted to laugh a bit, but she knew better, she had to just keep her mouth shut and she wouldn't get smacked around anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

Tig had managed to get himself back to work, trying not to really think about what had happened there. That girl had been overly submissive. She had worked hard to not make anyone upset. He glanced over to see Gemma speaking with her again, and she was looking a little off. He narrowed his bright blue eyes as he waited to see what was so special about her. Why was Gemma helping her? He almost wanted to ask, but he didn't want Gemma ripping into him again. The girl seemed weak. Afraid. That made her an easy target. He shook the thoughts away and got himself back to work, wanting to get this car finished before the end of the work day simply because he didn't want to fall behind any this week. His club dues needed to be paid and so did his bills. He had to make some money.

Tanya glanced over towards the man when he finally started back towards the garage before looking at Gemma again. She was feeling a little overwhelmed right now and she wanted to sit down, maybe get herself something to eat and get a nap. She knew that Gemma was watching her closely, making sure that she was really okay. Gemma was aware of why Tanya had returned, and that was only because Tanya knew that Gemma would need the whole truth to fully trust her reasons for coming home.

"Tanya...you know your safe don't you?"Gemma said softly,"He wont find you here, this will be the last place he'd expect you to go,"

"That's...probably where you're wrong, but I'm trying not to think about that right now, I am just trying to relax despite all the people at the moment."Tanya replied lightly,"Most of these guys weren't here the last time I was."

"Ah yes, this is true, but you'll get to know them, and believe me, they aren't going to lay a hand on you."Gemma said and touched Tanya's shoulder,"You're home, baby girl, I promise."

"I know, Gemma, I'm aware that I'm safe now."Tanya said and looked down at the ground,"I'm just adjusting is all, I'll be just fine, I don't need to be babied or anything."

"I know this, darling, and I wasn't."Gemma said quickly, as if she were trying to toughen up a bit and be her usual stern hard ass self instead of this motherly woman trying to comfort a child.

"Sure, sure."Tanya replied lightly and shook her head,"Alright well, you said you'd have everything ready for me...where am I staying?"

"Well baby girl, I can take you over to the apartment right now that I got leased out for you."Gemma suggested,"I can bring one of the boys to help you get your stuff inside, we worked all day yesterday getting furniture and such in."

"Oh...well that would be just fine, I would appreciate that."Tanya said with a nod of her head. She really didn't have that much stuff but something told her that if she tried to argue, she'd lose anyway.

"Alright, I'll drag Tig along since he wanted to argue with me,"Gemma said, though she was really speaking more to herself then she was to Tanya at that point as she had turned and started back towards the garage, her hands on her hips as she moved.

Tanya just stood there, her hands still in her pockets before she glanced towards Opie and Jax who were watching Gemma heading towards the garage. Tanya wasn't really sure why Gemma was making that man go, since he was clearly busy, but she wasn't going to argue with the Queen Bee of this place. She really didn't think that it would do her or anyone a whole lot of good at the moment. She rocked back on her heels a bit and then turned to start back towards her car, figuring she could go wait there instead of being so awkward right here. She hated feeling like this. She was well aware that she was better then what Joe had made her feel, but it was going to be a hard habit to break.

Tig had his hands busy and his mind blank as he was working hard on this little Chevelle. These cars made him crazy. The people who owned them never took proper care of them, on top of them not being the worlds greatest things anyway. He paused for a moment and turned, wiping the sweat off his forehead and smearing grease in it's place as he looked at Gemma for a moment. He loved the woman but he was pretty sure he was going to kill her if she didn't let him get some work done.

"Yeah?"He said and raised an eyebrow as he winced against the morning sun shining into the actual garage, almost blinding him.

"I want you to go with me and help Tanya get herself out of her car, I don't know how much she has, but she doesn't need to be putting a lot of strain on herself."Gemma instructed him, leaving no room for argument.

"Gem, really?"He asked with a grunt,"Why ya doin' this to me, why are you so mean to me?"

"It's called tough love, Tigger, now let's go,"Gemma said and turned without saying anything else and headed towards her Cadillac.

Tig finally just shook his head and pulled off his work shirt and put it in his locker before getting his cut and pulling it on over his black t-shirt. He cleaned his hands off the best he could and started after Gemma, rolling his bright blue eyes as he moved. He wondered what he had done other then accidentally bump her friend to deserve her undying attention and demands. He sighed a bit as he walked over to his bike and climbed on, starting it up and straddling the machine for a moment, just letting it rumble underneath him as he waited for Gemma and that Tanya girl to start ahead of him so that he would be able to follow them to the apartment or house, or whatever this girl was going to be living in.

Tanya waited until Gemma had pulled out and she followed behind, looking in her rear view mirror to see that the man named Tig was following after them. She sighed a bit as she turned on her radio and let the music fill the void. She wondered if it was a small apartment or a big one. She was hoping for a smaller one. She didn't need a whole lot of space. She didn't have a whole lot of stuff. Just what she could fit in her car, which, since her car wasn't all that big, went back to the thought that she didn't own a whole lot. She blinked a bit as she made a left turn down main street, wondering where this place was. Gemma was keeping it close to the clubhouse, that much Tanya was already sensing. Was Gemma thinking that something was going to happen that Tanya hadn't planned for? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to know really. She was still afraid, and Joe was almost two thousand miles away. This was no way to live. She was going to have to do something before she lost her mind. She was well aware of that.

Tanya saw the apartment complex, it was a nice one, but it wasn't something that was going to be out of her price range. She was so thankful Gemma had kept that in mind as she pulled into the parking lot and shut her car off. She climbed out and tugged at her shirt, wincing slightly at how stiff her body was. She looked over to see Gemma climbing out of her car and Tig getting off his bike. She really didn't need the help but she wasn't sure how to just voice this without seeming like she was being rude. She was fully capable of taking care of herself, even if she did hurt right now. She turned and started for her trunk, but Gemma caught her arm and shook her head. Tanya looked confused for the longest moment before sighing a bit.

"I want you to come see first, then you can move in and get comfortable."Gemma explained with a sweet smile,"Besides, I don't want you lifting anything, we'll leave that up to Tig."

"Gemma..."Tanya started to argue, keeping her voice low, but Gemma had cut her off before she could actually get the thought out.

"No...not right now, you don't need that strain on yourself, and you know it."Gemma said with a solid nod of her head,"Now come on, let's go see."

Tig was watching the go between with the two women, keeping himself silent and out of the way. Tanya didn't seem all that thrilled over the fact that he was here. He really could care less, well, almost. He wondered what he had done to make her want him out of the way, or if it was even him at all. What if she was just a lesbian man hater in general? That was likely. That would be his luck. A cute little submissive girl that hates men. Go figure. He watched as Gemma led this Tanya girl towards the apartment that was apparently hers, and Tig turned and followed behind them, just acting as muscle, which really wasn't all that surprising at all. He was the Sargent at Arms, and he was usually doing things like playing muscle and doing the dirty work for the club. Why was this any different?

Tanya sighed and stepped back out of Gemma's way and watched as the woman pulled the key out of her purse and unlocked the door. When Gemma turned and handed her the key, she held her hand out and took it effortlessly, and shoved it in her pocket. She'd put it on her key ring later. She followed Gemma inside, trying hard to ignore the wall of man behind her. His presence was almost intimidating in a sense. She wasn't sure why. He just definitely came off as someone that you didn't mess with, and she wouldn't. She didn't want to get herself into any trouble, not yet anyway, she wasn't ready for that. She looked around for a moment and was taken aback.

The living room alone had her feeling surprised. This was almost to much. There was brown leather furniture, and stuff from her Reservation on the walls to help her feel more at home. There was a television with an entertainment center. There was a beautiful green rug on the floor. All the floors were hard wood on top of that. She just stared at everything for a moment before she started forward again. She had to say that she was still slightly in shock. She was going to find a way to pay Gemma back for all this stuff. It was too much. She had a beautiful oak wood dining table with matching chairs, and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, along with new cookware and dishes. She blinked a bit as she walked around it for a moment. She then turned and looked at Gemma, not really paying attention to the fact that Tig was still here.

"This...this is to much."She stuttered over her words, not really sure if she should be happy or heart broken that someone cares this much.

"Darling, you need all this stuff, you've got to have a place to live."Gemma argued lightly as she set her purse down on the counter,"And it's close enough to the clubhouse that you'll be safe."

"No...I mean, I'm very thankful, but really...you've put more money into this apartment then I could ever pay you back for."Tanya explained and shook her head as her eyes filled with tears,"I'm very grateful that you want to help me, that you will, but this...is a lot of stuff...to much apartment for me."

"Hun, it's a one bed, one bath...it's not big, you're just...you've got to adjust is all, you'll be alright."Gemma assured her as she walked over and wrapped her arms around her,"You'll be okay, I promise."

Tig was watching what was happening with cautious eyes. What was going on here? He knew that the guys had spent yesterday setting up this apartment, and Gemma had been fretting since yesterday morning over getting everything to look perfect. Why was this woman here, why was she needing the club to keep her safe? He wasn't sure he liked this a whole lot. She was scared, and she was crying, and she was being overly emotional over everything. Women scared him worst then anything in the world sometimes. He wanted to figure out what was going on here though. More importantly he wanted to know if she was a lesbian man hater or not, because she was just submissive enough to be lots of fun in bed. Tig was well aware how wrong it was to think with his dick right now, but, that was how he was all the time, he wasn't going to change over one person. Right?


	3. Chapter 3

Tanya regained herself after a moment, realizing that Tig was still there, and she reached up, running her fingers through her hair. Gemma looked pleased that the woman wasn't willing to argue anymore, at least right at this moment.

"Alright, so let's get your things moved in, sound good?"Gemma said, giving a gentle smile to the war torn woman.

"Yeah, sounds good to me."Tanya said easily, before turning, glancing up at Tig only slightly, then started towards the door.

"Now Tig, don't let her lift a whole lot,"Gemma said, as Tig turned to follow after the woman.

Tanya paused and huffed lightly, giving a good shake of her head before she continued forward. Tig glanced down at her, and made a face, before glancing back at Gemma, giving a solid nod of his head. Tanya paused at the car and looked down, noticing that in the reflection, she looked exhausted, worn down. Tanya quickly turned away from that and started towards the trunk. Her whole car was full, but in retrospect, she didn't have the amount of things that one would imagine another having in ten years time.

Tanya yanked the ring where she'd put the keys to her apartment, which also held her car key, and stuck the key into the lock, popping the trunk open with a small turn. She yanked the key out and shoved the whole thing back into her pocket, before lifting the lid of the trunk completely up. She glanced back at Tig and gave a small smile, before reaching for one of the boxes.

"Where do you want this stuff?"Tig asked, as he moved to stand beside her, glancing to make sure it wasn't a big box she was trying to lift.

"Just set them in the living room, if you don't mind."Tanya said simply.

"Alright,"Tig said simply, before lifting the box and walking off.

Tanya stood there for a moment, before grabbing the box she'd been reaching for, and lifted it up. Her sides were instantly screaming, but it didn't stop her, she started away from her car, and towards the apartment, watching as Tig walked in front of her, and Tanya wondered idly for a moment when he'd come into Sons, because she didn't remember him before.

It only took about twenty minutes, between her and Tig, to get everything inside, and she shut the trunk of her car, before leaning against the cool metal, staring up at the front door. Gemma had already started unpacking her clothing and putting it away, and Tig was standing outside smoking. At some point, Tanya needed to go to the store and buy food, but not yet. She'd give it a few hours to wind down before she did anything else. Tanya sighed and pushed away from the car and started towards Tig, giving a bit of a smile as she stopped a bit away from him.

"Could I bum one off of you?"She asked, frustrated that she mumbled that, instead of speaking like a normal person.

"Yeah, but you gotta actually walk up to me and get it."Tig said easily, flashing a brilliant smile at her.

"Fine."Tanya said simply, and took a deep breath as she held her head up a bit, walking towards him, though careful not to get to close. She had a thing about staying just out of arms reach of a man. Ten years of abuse does that to a person.

"That's better."Tig said simply, before taking a cigarette out of the pack and handing it to her.

"Thanks,"Tanya said, as she received the cigarette and then a lighter.

"So...what's your story anyway?"Tig asked, taking a drag off of his cigarette, eyeing her carefully.

"What do you mean?"Tanya asked, blinking her eyes as if she were innocent to what he meant.

"Why is Gemma and the club so quick to help you?"

"It's a long story, but I knew the club when I was younger, my father did business with them, so when I needed help, and having no blood family, I figured they were the ones I needed to talk to,"Tanya said easily, as she flicked the ash off the tip of her cigarette.

"So what could a little girl like you have done to need the club's help?"Tig asked, raising an eyebrow, he was going to get answers out of her, he was determined to figure out what was going on.

"It doesn't matter, I didn't do anything, just found myself in a bad situation that I couldn't get out of alone."She said easily, brushing him off with a light smile, looking down at the ground, having trouble keeping eye contact with him.

"You make it hard to believe your trustworthy."Tig replied simply.

"Who said I wanted your trust anyway?"Tanya retorted, looking up long enough to shoot him a glare, before looking away again.

"Well, since Clay relies on me for a lot of things, I suppose having my trust would be a good idea."

"Clay relies on you, not me, so don't try and manipulate me into talking about things better left alone."Tanya hissed, before flicking the cigarette away, turning herself away from Tig to head inside.

"Are you like some lesbian man-hater or something?"

Tanya paused and turned back to look at Tig, taking a moment to actually meet his gaze, her eyes giving away the anger boiling inside of her. She gritted her teeth, and clenched her hands into fits, before taking a deep breath, shaking her head before she did something that would get her smacked around. She didn't want to be hit again because she didn't know how to keep her mouth shut.

"No, I'm not a lesbian."She said simply, before disappearing inside.

Tig just stood there for a moment, staring at the empty door way. There was some fight in this girl, but she didn't let it show. She was the most submissive human being he was certain he'd ever met. She wanted to say a lot more then she had, and he wondered idly what had kept her from doing so. It was like watching those battered women commercials on the television. Was that why she was here? He certainly hoped not, even he would never go so far as to beat on a woman, and he'd done a lot of screwed up things in his life.

Tanya took a deep breath when she realized that he hadn't followed after her, and closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to be alone for a moment, feeling overwhelmed from all the people contact, and the fear of her ex-husband figuring out where she went. She bit her lip and took another deep breath, not paying attention to the fact that he had in fact followed her inside, and now Gemma was also in the living room, both of them watching quietly as she fought off an anxiety attack.

"Darlin', you okay?"Gemma finally spoke up, glancing at Tig, trying to decide if he was the cause.

Tanya jumped a bit and turned half to the side, looking at Gemma carefully for a moment, before giving a small smile and a nod of her head. Tig snorted, clearly not believing her, and rolled his eyes. Gemma looked at him for a moment, one eyebrow arched, and lips pursed, before giving a smile to Tanya, as if trying to reassure her.

"Are you sure?"Gemma asked again.

"Just...overwhelmed is all, I'll be alright after some rest."Tanya said easily.

"You make a habit of lyin' to people who try to help you?"Tig asked, taking a step back at the look he received from Gemma over the comment.

"No, I don't, but no offense, I don't trust you, I don't like men right now, and I don't want you standing there listening while I am in the midst of a life crisis, so forgive me if I come off as a raging lesbian man hater and a liar."Tanya snapped back, before closing her mouth tightly, and taking an involuntary step backwards, as if suddenly afraid,"I'm sorry...I've said to much, I'm so sorry."

"Tanya, relax."Gemma said, reaching out and putting a hand on the woman's shoulder,"Don't apologize, he shouldn't have been rude like that."

"But.."Tanya started and blinked at Gemma, that fear still bright in her eyes.

"But nothing, I told you that chapter was done, now have faith it wont happen anymore, alright."Gemma said softly, speaking under breath so that it was just between herself and Tanya.

"O-okay."

"Tig, why don't we go, so that Tanya can rest, she had a long day yesterday, and could probably use a hot shower."Gemma said, looking up at the man who was just staring, clearly confused as to what was going on.

"Uh..alright Gem, no problem."Tig replied, finally tearing his eyes away from the fragile woman in front of him.

"You've got my number if you need anything Tanya."Gemma said sweetly, before giving the woman a kiss on the cheek.

One Tanya was alone, she walked over to the couch, and slipped down, tears streaming down her cheek. She had been so afraid he was going to hit her, she had been afraid of speaking up for herself. What had she become? She sniffed and shook her head, a small hiccup slipping through her lips as she continued to cry. She hated this, feeling so weak, being so afraid. She wanted to be the person she'd been ten years ago. Strong, independent, out spoken, so many things are about herself that she missed, and she wasn't sure she'd ever get them back. She had to find a way though, even if it killed her.


	4. Chapter 4

Tanya spent the next few weeks just getting readjusted. She was starting to feel a bit better, though when it came to being face to face with anyone other then Gemma, she was struggling, as she probably would for a long while, to do anything other then shy away, and act like they had already hit her, though everyone was nothing but kind to her.

She arrived at the garage, as Gemma had given her a job there, working in the office to allow Gemma to enjoy time with her grandsons, and Tanya smiled a bit at Juice and Chibs as they walked past, though she didn't keep eye contact long. She was nervous about all this, she wasn't sure to what extent her ex husband would go to in order to find her. She didn't even know if he was looking. She hoped not, she hoped that he was thrilled she had left, and that he wasn't looking, or angry, or trying to come after her. That was a false hope, she realized, but none the less, it was one that she wanted to be true.

"How are you this morning?"A voice rang out, getting her attention, causing her to look up for a moment, seeing that it was Tig.

"Doing alright, and yourself?"She said, giving only the hint of a smile, just trying to be polite.

"I'm good,"Tig replied, before returning to work.

Tanya just nodded her head, and slipped into the office, keeping the door open since the window ac was broken at the moment, though they told her someone was coming in a day or two to fix it. She was alright with just the air blowing in, but she wasn't going to argue. She sat down and started typing on the computer, trying to get everything that was on paper into the system, because apparently no one here realized until she started working, that it made life that much easier. She didn't mind, there was enough here to keep her busy for months, she was certain of it.

Most of her day was spent just typing away, having stopped long enough to eat lunch, and then it was back to work. The sun was going down, and Jax stepped into the office to let her know it was time to head home. She thanked him, and started shutting everything down, turning to pick up her purse, and grab the keys to her car. She had traded the one she'd driven here for a newer one, something a little better then the beat up stationwagon she'd been driving. She liked sighed a bit as she turned and started out of the office, only to be stopped by Tig stepping in the way of the door.

"Want to get a bite to eat?"He asked, grinning at her.

"With you?"She asked, raising an eyebrow, suspicion clear in her eyes.

"Who else would I send you to dinner with?"He asked with a bit of a laugh.

"With you, there is no telling what you're planning,"She said simply, as she ducked and slipped past him so that she was outside now.

"You make a good point, however, yes, I'm asking if you'll grab a bit to eat with me, I'm not hooking you up with some strange man."He said easily, flashing another brilliant smile at her.

"Alright, where are we going?"She said, as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder, still not sure about him, still not liking him all that much.

"I don't know, there's a diner in town, got some good food, you'd like it, I think."He answered, as he wiped his hands off on his jeans.

"Uh...sure, sounds good."She said easily, and then started for her car.

"Where you going?"He asked, as he watched her, grinning a bit as she stopped to look at him again.

"To my car, to follow you there."She replied, narrowing her eyes at him,"Why?"

"You don't wanna ride on my bike?"

"That would require trusting that you wont kill me, and I don't yet."

"Oh come on, I'm as safe as a puppy."

"Puppies bite."She retorted, giving a sickly sweet smile.

"Just once, I swear it'll be alright."

"No, I'll just follow you."She said, before looking down at the ground,"Just let me follow you there, please."

"Alright, alright,"Tig said, shaking his head with a bit of a grunt. He was going to figure this one out, it had become a personal mission to get her in his bed, and he was hoping that a bike ride and dinner would do the trick, but there was still some time, they hadn't even had dinner yet.

Tanya slipped into her car, and listened as Tig's bike roared to life, and watched as he started towards the entrance of the parking lot. She pulled out and quickly followed after him. They were slightly touch and go, and most of the time, she wanted to drive a pen through his eye. She wasn't really sure why she agreed to do this, as he wasn't exactly at the top of her list of people she'd want to spend any more time then necessary with, but she was just going to roll with it. She didn't have a choice now, it would be rude to just bail on a free dinner.

The ride there was short, and she parked next to his bike, waiting until he had climbed off, before stepping out of her vehicle. She smiled a bit at him, as she adjusted her purse, and started forward. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but at least he wasn't being an ass, like usual. She sighed a bit and looked up at Tig, who was reaching out to grab the door, holding it open for her. She stepped inside, and the smell of food hit her nose, and her stomach growled. She was hungry, though she hadn't realized how much so until the prospect of eating was right in front of her.

Tanya set down once they were lead to a table, and placed her purse just under her seat. She picked up the menu and looked it over for a moment, quickly deciding that a big hamburger with some home made fries sounded wonderful. She let the waitress know she wanted some sweet tea when the woman came over, and then looked across the table at Tig. What was he planning anyway. There was nothing about this man that screamed his intentions were pure, and that bothered Tanya, because she wasn't about to allow herself into a situation that she couldn't get out of.

"Are you always so quiet?"Tig asked after a moment, and Tanya noticed he was clearly studying her as well.

"I tend to be, yes."She said simply, giving a bit of a smile.

"Why is that, you've got fire, I've seen that first hand, why kept it under wraps, afraid someone might actually like that?"He said with a bit of a laugh, clearly trying to poke the bear.

"I have learned that the best thing I can do is just keep my mouth shut, and therefore, I don't speak much."She said simply, rolling her eyes lightly at him.

"So what's your story anyway?"He asked, leaning forward, arms crossed and resting on the table.

"I might tell you, but am I going to get your story?"She responded easily, raising an eyebrow at him, as if challenging him.

"I ain't got a story sister, I'm just a biker with an attitude problem."

"I believe you should add terrible liar on that list of things you are."

"You act like you know a whole lot, don't ya?"He snipped lightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he watched her closely.

"I think I know somethings, though I don't know everything, however, I suppose you could say a know a whole lot."She retorted, glancing down at his fingers tapping on the table, causing her heart to race. She was making him mad, and she was probably going to pay for that later. Wait, what was she saying, none of the SAMCRO guys were going to knock her around, Gemma had promised her that. Gemma wasn't here though.

"Look, you don't talk about yourself, you act as if you're just part of the background, nobody is just naturally like that, so what happened to you?"Tig finally spoke, noticing that she was getting a bit nervous all of a sudden.

"I made a mistake, and now I'm suffering for it, what else would you like to know?"

"That's not exactly the truth, now is it?"

"Why are you nosey?"

"Look, is it so bad that I want to know more about you...I mean, it's not like I'm going to use the information to break into your house or hack your computer or something."

"It doesn't matter Tig, it's something that I have to deal with, and those that absolutely have to know, do, otherwise, it isn't something I want as public information."

"I wont make it public, just talk to me, I really do want to get to know you."

"You probably just want to get into my pants."

"That's a tad shallow, isn't it?"

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like...I guess.."Tanya stuttered, embarrassed with herself for having said that, she reached up and rubbed her face,"I simply assume that about you, cause I've seen how you act at the clubhouse."

"Maybe that's just me tryin' to find someone worth my time?"He suggested, giving her a small grin.

"I doubt that, but if that's the story you want to tell yourself, then I can roll with that."She said with a bit of a laugh as she looked up to see their food bring brought over.

The rest of the meal was whether quiet, and she was rolling things around in her mind. She wasn't sure she was going to take a moment to even allow herself to trust him, but he hadn't done anything to say otherwise. He was curious about her, though whether it was just a game he was playing, or was sincere, she didn't know, and that made her a little nervous. She wasn't ready to trust people yet, it had been a long ten years and those wounds weren't healing over night.

After they'd finished eating, Tig paid for everything, and stood, holding his hand out to help Tanya up. She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and standing up as well. She tried to hide the fact that she was wanting to move away from him now, keep herself just out of reach of his fist. She remembered how her ex was at first, so kind and full of affection,first, always making her smile, and laugh. It wasn't until they'd been married for about six months that things started to get bad, and she started to regret ever loving him in the first place. She knew that all men weren't like that, but it was hard to tell until you really know someone, who is and who isn't, so until then, she trusted nobody.

She let go of Tig the moment they were outside and headed straight for her car, knowing that he was following right behind her. She turned and blinked at how close he was, she was just at her car, and really didn't have far that she could back up, so she just stared at him, distrust clear in her eyes. She wasn't sure what game he was playing, but she wanted him to move back, and now.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Tanya, you look like I'm holding a knife to your throat."Tig said as he watched her for a moment.

"Please take a step back."She said softly, before looking down.

"What happened to you?"

"A lot of things, don't worry yourself with my issues."

Tig narrowed his eyes, and sighed a bit before moving forward again, this time reaching out and touching her arm. Tanya jumped, and found her back pressed up against the car, and looking up at his face. Tig had moved his hand, but hadn't stepped back any, though the look on his face let her know that her reaction had caught him by surprise.

"Tig, I just want to go home now, alright."She said simply, as she started to move away from him.

"You don't hate men, you're terrified of them."He replied to her statement, which made her freeze again,"Why?"

"Reasons, now, please, just get on your bike, and leave me be for the night."

Tig didn't move, and Tanya was starting to feel her heart race, her chest tighten, a panic attack lingering in the background. She wanted him to leave her alone, so that she could go home and sleep, and forget that she'd completely freaked out on him. Instead, he didn't move, he didn't leave her alone, he reached up and tugged her chin gently, so that she was looking at him, and his lips crushed hers for a moment. She flinched at first and started to pull away, before something just made her stop and give in. She wasn't really sure as to why she'd do that, he was a threat, he could easily turn on her just like her ex had. She should be pushing him away, screaming for help, instead, she was letting her lips part as his tongue pushed, allowing him access to explore. A moment passed and he pulled away, grinning at her just slightly, as she simply stared at him in shock. She honestly was unaware of what to do with him at this moment.

"Tig, you don't want to know why I'm afraid of men, and tonight I'm not telling you anything, this should stop right here, and you should just go home or something."She said after a moment, after taking several deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Can I come home with you?"

"No."


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: Having gone over Chapter 5, I decided to add some to it, delete the old one, and post it up again. I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion, and I'm going to be getting new Chapters up asap!

Tanya was still a bit unnerved by Tig's move, and she chose to stay clear of him for a few days, possibly longer if she could pull it off. She doubted that she would have that opportunity however, since she worked at the garage, and there was someone always checking on her at her apartment. She sighed a bit as she shut the door to the office, and sat down, and began going through some more paper work. She was nearly half way done with converting everything to electronic, and was pretty proud of herself over that. She sipped on her coffee when the phone rang. Tanya wasted no time reaching over and bringing the phone to her ear.

"Teller-Morrow Automotives, how can I help you?"She spoke, sounding very professional as she did so.

"I'm looking for a missing woman, she was from near there, her name is Tanya, I was wondering if, as I know her dad had some history with the group, if she might have come there."A voice spoke on the other end, causing Tanya to freeze.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure who you're talking about, let me get the owner and he'll be able to help you."She replied, before putting the phone on hold, and shooting up out of her chair. He was looking for her.

She rushed out of the office, and started scanning the small area, looking for Gemma or Jax. She wasn't going to continue to talk to this man. He had done so much to her, and she didn't think she would ever fully heal from that. She saw Jax, but near him was Tig. She sighed a bit, so much for her plan of avoidance. She started towards the two men, hands shoved in her pockets, trying to look casual, as she graced them both with a faltering smile.

"Tanya, whatcha need?"Jax spoke, his blue eyes studying her closely.

"There's someone on the phone for you, and I can't give him the answers he needs."She said, trying to look as pleasant as possible.

"Who is it?"He asked, tilting his head a bit before looking towards the office.

"Er...he uh...didn't give his name,"She said with a bit of a shrug.

Tig narrowed his eyes, and then looked at Jax. This woman was a terrible liar. He kept his mouth shut however, since she was seeming to make it a point to not talk to him. Jax seemed to catch on that she wasn't telling the whole truth, and raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest, causing Tanya to flinch and step back. She looked down for a moment, and then looked towards the office. She didn't want to say anything, not in front of Tig, because then he'd expect her to tell him what was going on, and she didn't want to. This was need to know basis.

"Jax...it's an issue that you need to handle, because I can't...because this is important, now please go answer the phone."She said, trying hard to plead with the man without saying out right what was going on.

"Follow me."Jax said simply, glancing back at Tig,"I'll be right back."

"Alright brother."Tig replied with a small nod of his head.

Tanya just passed Tig a glance before quickly following after Jax. She really didn't want to go back in there, she didn't want to hear that voice ever again. She felt her heart racing, her throat growing tight, as she struggled to honestly find air to breath. She was terrified, and she had every reason to be. They stepped into the office, and he picked up the phone, taking it off hold. Jax only glanced at Tanya before looking down for a moment.

"Jax Teller, anything I can help you with?"He spoke into the phone.

"Yes, I am looking for my wife, she went missing a few weeks ago, and I didn't know if maybe you'd seen her around...her name is Tanya, she grew up on the Reservation just outside of Charming, and I know her dad was good friends with Clay Morrow...anything you can help me with?"The man on the other end spoke,"I'm really desperate for information, I'm worried she's hurt or worst...I just want to know she's okay."

"Look man, I haven't seen her, and honestly, from what information has been passed my way, even if I had, I wouldn't help you, but good luck."Jax replied, rolling his eyes a bit before looking over at Tanya, who was standing there, hands placed behind her back.

"What information...I love my wife, and I just want her home safe and sound, so if you know anything, you better talk before I call the cops."The man snapped on the other end.

"She isn't here...she isn't in Charming, and if she is, she's staying clear of us, so I can't tell you something I don't know, so calling the cops isn't going to do you any good here."Jax continued, shaking his head, not liking how this guy was speaking to him,"And never mind on the information, just, you've looked in the wrong place, I'm sorry."

"Alright well, just let me know if you hear anything."The man spoke, and then gave his phone number, which Jax pretended to write down.

Jax hung the phone up, and then stood there for a moment. He had figured Tanya's husband would come looking for her, and most of the club was still in the dark. He knew this man was dangerous, and he was dangerous in more then just being an abusive husband. Jax looked over at Tanya after a moment, and she looked both relieved and terrified all in one. He had to figure out what to do, or this could unravel, and she would probably end up dead. He rubbed his face, and took a deep breath, before walking over and embracing Tanya in a hug.

"He wont touch you."He assured her,"We're going to have to tell everyone what's going on however, otherwise we can't protect you."

"Jax, I don't know that I want everyone knowing, because I don't need people feeling sorry for me."She said as she pulled away from him, shoving her hands in her pockets,"I don't want pity, I just want to be able to move on with my life."

"Everybody here has seen a lot of shit, they aren't going to pity you, they're going to be angry for you, because we're strong on the fact that you don't lay a hand on women, for any reason."He said as he raised an eyebrow,"And if they don't know, how are they suppose to be able to keep you safe until this guy is taken care of?"

"I guess...I just...I just want this to be done, part of me wishes that he was dead, because I'll always be afraid so long as he's breathing."She said with a small laugh,"I never thought I'd feel that way about another human, I try to like everyone."

"We'll take care of him, I promise."Jax said before stepping out of the office, half turning as he did,"We'll sit everyone down and talk about it in the clubhouse tonight, alright."

"Alright."She replied lightly, before walking over to the chair in front of the computer and sinking down, dread filling her as she tried to figure out what the man would do next, how far he'd go to find her. That was terrifying, and she wasn't so sure they could protect her, because her husband knew far to many powerful people to just let her escape.

Jax left her alone, and she was okay with that. She had to figure out how she was suppose to just explain to everyone what had happened. She didn't want to be looked at with pity, or to hear people tell her how sorry they were for what happened. She would never be able to move on with her life if people always looked at her as the formerly abused house wife. She sighed a bit and went back to typing. Now wasn't the time for that, she knew Jax was right, they couldn't help if she wasn't honest.

The rest of the day went without event, even Tig didn't come pester her about what she and Jax spoke of, or who was on the phone. She finished what she was doing for the day, and shut off the computer once she made sure everything was saved. She got up and grabbed her purse and headed for the door, locking the office up behind her. The men were locking up the garage, and she watched them for a moment, before heading towards her car. She wanted to go home and eat, at least before she had to tell her pathetic story to all these burly men.

"Where you headed?"Jax called out, causing Tanya to take pause, turning to look at him.

"I'm going to go home real quick, eat, and then I'm coming back."She said, raising an eyebrow,"Why?"

"Why not just get this over with, alright."Jax answered, taking a deep breath,"Then you can just go home and stay for the night."

"Alright, if you think it's the best way to do this."Tanya spoke, after tossing the thoughts around in her mind a moment,"Let's just get it over with."

She quietly followed after Jax into the clubhouse, noticing that everyone was coming in, and they were all grabbing beers, talking, laughing, as if this was another normal night after work. She paused for a moment, and had it in mind to turn and dart out of here. She knew that she didn't get that option though, not now. She'd already asked for help, almost begged, and now she had to do what needed to be done. Come clean.

"Guys, I need to talk to you all about something,"Jax called to them, causing everyone to pause, and turn their attention towards the President,"Our new resident needs to come clean about something."

"I knew she couldn't be utterly perfect like Gemma claims."Tig said lightly, giving a bit of a laugh as he took another drink of his beer.

"Actually, this is a matter of you guys being safe,"Tanya retorted, glaring at Tig,"And I'd be the first to tell you I'm not perfect, if you'd take the time to do something other then get in my pants."

"Alright you two."Jax interrupted, clearing his throat a bit before looking to Tanya, waiting for her to start talking.

"I'm originally from around here, I grew up on the Reservation where you guys make deals from time to time, my father's the chief."She started to explain,"I uh...I really never wanted to come back here, and I pretty much hated everything about the Reservation, and Charming, and just, this whole area in general, so I met this man not long after I got out of high school, and I fell head over heels for him, married him, and had a nice little life far away from here, in a home we owned, with a white picket fence and a cat named Chunks, however this isn't what I'm trying to explain, see, my fairy tale was a ten year nightmare, full of physical and verbal abuse, I've spent the last ten years moving from hospital to hospital fabricating stories as to what happened to me, why my ribs are broken, why my face is bruised up, why my wrist is dislocated, I wasn't allowed to work, have friends, talk to my family, and I was in fear for my life, because he's a man with all the right friends, and I called Gemma to beg for help, after ten years, I just couldn't do it anymore, I had always liked her, and I knew that if I went to my father first, he'd send me your way anyway, and I didn't want the tribe getting caught up in this madman's game, I knew you all could handle it, except today, he called here, looking for me, I managed to lie it off like I wasn't here, with the help of Jax, and now I'm afraid, because he'll be on a rampage, and if he finds me, or finds out that he was lied to about me being here, well, to put it kindly, I'm not going to be the only person that ends up dead, and I don't want that...I just want to have this man out of my life so I can move on, so that I can be something better then the beaten housewife in the news found dead in her kitchen or something."She finally finished explaining, taking a deep breath, as she looked around.

The entire room got quiet, but there was an energy there, and it made Tanya a bit nervous. She hoped that they wouldn't turn her away for not telling them the whole truth from the start, she desperately wanted their help, and desperately wanted to stay alive. Tig set his beer down and watched her for a moment, before shaking his head.

"No man worth his money hits a woman,"He spoke, a hiss in his voice,"What do you need us to do?"

"I just need help staying alive, nothing more, if you can help me be done with this man, I'll go, and not cause any more trouble for any of you."She answered, as she looked down at the ground, and away from all the eyes on her.

"I've got your back,"Tig spoke, with a nod of his head.

"Me and Gemma already said we'd help her."Jax said with a sigh,"You're not expected to do anything, we just wanted you to be aware of the situation."

"Jackie-boy, we're all gonna help da' girl,"Chibs spoke, and all the men nodded in agreement,"da' bastard is dead."


	6. Chapter 6

*Warning: Some content in this chapter could be considered a trigger.

The weeks following Tanya explaining her situation to everyone went smoothly. She'd been in hiding for nearly six months at this point, and was happy that Joe hadn't found her, hadn't even tried. She was still alert, always cautious, never wanting to get caught off guard by the man, or anyone he might know. She was grateful that people didn't feel sorry for her, or try to treat her like she was something special, or fragile. She leaned against the door way to the office of the garage, watching as the line of bikes pulled in, all taking their spots. The roaring sounds of the engines stopping, making the world around them deadly silent for a moment in time.

She and Tig were still back and forth, and she was still not quite sure what to do with the man. He wasn't a puppy dog, he wasn't sweet, and cuddly, and the type to pamper. She wasn't the type of woman to truly enjoy that either. He was cold as stone most of the time, and his eyes gave way to the demons he kept locked in his head. She tip toed around him most of the time, careful that she wasn't coming off as interested, but also careful to make it seem as if he should turn his attention else where. She had got to where she was finally becoming the person she had been before Joe. Vibrant, out spoken, stubborn, finally working on the woman that she wanted to be. She still had moments where she was terrified, where she hid back in her shell away from the world, afraid of the next blow that might come, but she was working on it. Every day was a step forward.

"Tanya."Jax called out, pulling the woman from her thoughts,"Come here for a second, would ya?"

"What's going on?"Tanya asked, as she made her way over to Jax, and standing with him was Tig, Chibs, and Opie.

"I need you to let one of us sleep on your couch for a few days, we can take shifts, whatever is best."He started, which caused Tanya to suspiciously search his face for answers as to why.

"Uh...why does anyone need to sleep on my couch?"

"You want the truth, or a shallow story that will make you feel better?"Jax asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, truth would be nice, I'm not overly fond of being lied to."She said, glancing between him and Tig, and occasionally Chibs, wondering what was going on here.

"Joe's in town, apparently the search and rescue failed where you were living, everyone has given up, and he's here, looking for answers."

"How do you know?"She asked, raising an eyebrow,"Why hasn't he come around here?"

"A friend told me that a man was looking at the car you'd drove here, at the car lot where you traded it, was asking questions about you, however, nothing has led back here."He explained casually,"However it's only a matter of time, which means you need someone at your apartment watching your back."

"Well, alright."She said, giving a small sigh, having been honestly hoping that Joe had just given up and left her alone,"However, no strange women, that's my only rule, I don't need that stinking up my house."

"Fair enough."Jax said with a laugh, before patting Tig on the arm,"He's staying tonight, so just whenever you're ready to leave, let him know, alright."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does it have to be Tig...Juice is much nicer, or hell, Happy at times is far friendlier."

"Because he volunteered,"

"Is that going to be a problem, Tanya?"Tig asked, as he watched for her reaction, his mind wandering back to the fact that she was so wonderfully submissive, and how he really still wanted a piece of her, only because it would be something like climbing Mount Everest, only the bravest venture into that mess.

"No, it's not a problem."She finally answered, sighing slightly, giving a shrug of her shoulders,"I was just finishing up for the day, so don't wander off on me, I don't want to get a leash or something."

"Well, you two have fun."Jax said, laughing a bit, shaking his head as he walked off.

"Tig, ya watch da' girl, alright, call us if ya need anythin'."Chibs spoke, his voice stern, as he turned and followed after Jax.

"It's almost like your a small child,"Tanya teased lightly, as she turned on her heel and took off for the office to grab her things.

"No, I'm just not overly well known for not following directions,"Tig called out after her, rolling his eyes at the woman.

It's not that she has actually changed in the last six months, it was more like her true self was starting to show through. Tig had noticed it, little by little, she stopped being so afraid. From time to time, something would happen, and she'd crawl right back into that darkness, where everyone is out to get her, but then she'd give it a day or two, and be alright again. She was stubborn, and that fire that he had mentioned to her a few months back at the diner, he got a taste of it more and more each day. She was a fighter, and she was vicious at times, but she had done a pretty good job at keeping up with him at the few parties she had attended. Sadly, she'd kept up so well that she hadn't been dumb enough to get into bed with him.

"You ready?"Tanya asked, pulling Tig from his thoughts as she walked past him and towards her car,"I'm hungry, and I'm willing to guess you are too."

"Yeah, I'm followin' ya."He said, shaking his head with a small huff, turning and walking towards his bike.

A rather short ride through the small town of Charming, and she was parking in front of her apartment. Tanya climbed out and looked around, her bright eyes taking in everything. She did this nearly every time she came home, just to be sure that she was still safe. She knew that she was, every time, but she couldn't help herself. Giving a small glance over her shoulder, she looked at Tig was climbing off his bike, and with several effortless strides, was near her, waiting for her to take the lead inside.

"You really think Joe's found me?"She asked, trying to make it sound casual instead of allowing herself to sound as worried as she really was.

"Don't know yet, we'll have to wait and see, I guess."Tig answered, keeping his response short, since he didn't have anything more to say about it.

"What's there to wait for, him showing up at the apartment and putting a bullet in my head, cause I'm willing to be that's what he'll do."She muttered, rolling her eyes lightly, as she unlocked the door, then stepped into the apartment, taking a deep breath and darting towards the kitchen.

"You're the most pessimistic person I've ever seen, even Gemma has more hope then you do."Tig muttered back, as he shut the door behind him, watching as the woman slipped off towards kitchen.

"Well, the man I married knocked me around for ten years, and I finally make a grand escape, only to have Jax tell me that he thinks Joe's in town, because someone has been asking questions about me, now you tell me where the silver lining is in that information?"She replied to his comment, turning her full attention on Tig, a small scowl on her face at his silence,"I'm waiting."

"Look, I don't have a silver lining for you, doll, I don't think like that anyway."Tig retorted, snorting at her, as he shook his head,"And you're right, pretty shitty news today, but it's not like you're alone or anything, I mean c'mon, the whole club is taking up for you, that's gotta count for something."

"You're right, it does, however, I know what Joe's capable of, and I still worry."She said simply, looking down with a small sigh,"Sorry I snapped at you."

"You're conflicted."

"Yes, I know, now, what would you like for dinner?"

Tig just stared at her, before giving a shake of his head. This woman was going to be the death of him. She was confusing, and frustrating, and he wanted to tie a rope around her neck some days. He started to open his mouth to answer her when a knock at the door shook him from his thoughts. He turned and moved back over to the door, glad that conversation was over, before he snapped and lost it. Tig tried to glance out the window to see who was there, but couldn't get a good look, so he reached around to where his gun sat in the waist of his jeans, just under his cut, as he pulled the door open. He found himself face to face with a man that didn't look in the least bit pleased to see him there.

"Where is she?"The man asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about, this is my house."Tig lied, playing off a look of confusion,"You got somethin' wrong with your head?"

"Look, dipshit, I saw my wife come in here with you, now where is she?"

"I don't let another man's wife around me, it tends to end badly."Tig mocked lightly,"Try again?"

"Where's Tanya."

"That name sounds oddly familiar, but sorry, I can't help you."

"Tanya, I know you're in there, just please stop hiding, and come out here, I forgive you for running off, please, I just want you to come home."He spoke, sounding sincere as he did so.

"Buddy, I expect you to get off my steps before I knock your head clean off."Tig hissed, narrowing his eyes,"You don't fool me,"

"So she is in there, I want my wife back."

Tanya had ducked behind the counter, and closed her eyes the moment she heard the voice. She listened as Tig attempted to play it off that she wasn't even there, then proceeded to threaten Joe. She swallowed hard, and took several deep breaths, tears stinging her eyes as she tried to make herself stand up. She was terrified, and she didn't want Joe taking her back home, beating her, she couldn't do it again, not for another ten years, not for another ten minutes. She wanted to be able to fall in love, and be happy, and not be afraid of the man in her bed. She wanted to have children, and have someone that could keep up with her, not put her down. She wanted to be free of the tyranny that was the man at the door. She glanced up after a moment, to see that Tig wasn't moving, and wasn't about to do so any time soon either. That was at least a bit of relief. She let herself calm down a bit, and slowly pulled herself to her feet.

"Please, let me talk to my wife, I don't want to make an issue out of this, but I'm not leaving either."

"Well, if you don't want an issue, then turn around and leave, cause there ain't no use for you around here."Tig growled, quickly losing his patience with the man.

"She's been missing for six months, and when I called around town before, no one had seen her, and I'd like to know why everyone lied, she's my wife, I have a right to know she's alive, since she just up and left without saying a word to me."Joe snapped, starting to sound irritated himself,"What makes you think you can keep me from her?"

"Tig, move and let him in."Tanya finally spoke, trying to keep her voice from sounding shaky,"Just, let him in before people start staring and causing more problems."

"Ya sure, cause I could just kick him down the stairs or something?"Tig asked, looking a bit surprised at what she had said.

"Yes, I'm sure, we can handle this inside."She said simply, though she hadn't moved from where she was standing, safely behind the counter.

Tig slowly moved out of the way, letting the man inside, though his eyes were narrow and his body tense and ready to pounce. He didn't like this in the least. He shut the door, and then moved, keeping himself some what in between the man, and Tanya.

"Tanya, what's going on, why haven't you said anything?"Joe spoke after the door was shut, occasionally glancing towards Tig.

"Because I have the right to do as I please, I'm an adult."She said simply, placing both hands on the counter,"And because as far as I'm concerned, I'm not your wife anymore, I'm filing for "After ten years, that's all you have to say to me?"Joe said, looking almost disgusted by her words,"Ten years of doing everything for you?"

"Look, I'm not discussing this, in fact, this isn't going to be a debate, nor is there a vote, I will not go back, I'm home, and this is where I'm staying."Tanya spoke, trying to sound as confident as she could,"Ten years was too long, you did nothing for me, and I'm not going back to be a punching bag."

"Is that what you've got them convinced of, that I beat you?"Joe asked, looking shocked, and Tig was almost convinced as he watched the man,"Why would you those things?"

"I'm not convincing anyone of anything."Tanya replied, looking shocked at how he was playing this off, and she was sure that Tig would believe him, and then she'd just be sent home, as if this were all some sort of game,"Joe, I don't love you, I stopped loving you the first time you hit me, and I wont go back to that hell."

"Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but this isn't funny."Joe said, sounding sad as he spoke,"I know that you were really struggling before you left, but I think it might be a good idea to hospitalize you this time, clearly the medication isn't doing it's job anymore, convincing yourself and everyone else that I would actually beat you."

"Medication?"Tig asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked over at Tanya, who was standing perfectly still, looking stunned, and then turning his attention back towards Joe,"What medication?"

"She saw a doctor a couple of years ago that diagnosed her schizophrenia, mild, but there none the less, as well as a couple of other things, this isn't the first time she's ran off, and I've tried monitoring her medication, because she does have hallucinations otherwise, and comes up with this off the wall stories like this."Joe explained, meeting Tig's gaze, as he spoke.

"You're kidding me."Tig grumbled, before looking at Tanya, who was standing like a frightened deer, tears leaking down her cheek,"Is he serious, are you mental?"

"No, I'm not."She said, shaking her head, her voice cracking as she spoke,"No, I don't need medication, he's lying, please believe me, he's done this before."

"Done what before?"Joe asked, shaking his head in disbelief,"Put you in the hospital, Tanya, I'm only trying to take care of you., you keep running off like this, you're going to get hurt."

"No, no, stop it."Tanya said, waving her head, as she took a deep breath,"I am not crazy, and I am not making these things up...Joe, you need to go, I want you out of my life, I want you go I don't want anything else to do with you, you're manipulative and you hurt me, and just go."

"Tanya, you're coming home, you need help."Joe spoke, his tone a little more forceful this time,"You don't need to be pretending something isn't wrong, when we both know you're not all there, and haven't been for a long time."

"Please..."Tanya whimpered, looking towards Tig, her eyes pleading for him to jump in and help her.

"Listen, you can't make her do anything."Tig spoke, shaking his head,"You need to leave, this is her house, and she doesn't want you here."

"She's coming, and she's getting the help she needs, I'll call the police, file kidnapping charges if I have to, but she isn't going to stay here and ruin herself."

"Ruin herself, and how would she do that?"

"She's mentally unstable, hanging around with biker trash, you do the math."

"Joe,"Tanya said, her eyes going wide,"No, you wont talk about anyone like that in my house."

"This ain't your house, you don't live here anymore, you're coming home, we'll come back in a couple days to get your stuff."

After he spoke, he moved past Tig, and up to Tanya, taking hold of her arm. She flinched and tried to move away from him, but it was little use, as she was tugged towards the door. She glanced up at Tig, who was looking between the husband and wife, trying to figure out the best way to pry them apart without hurting Tanya. She looked terrified, and he knew in the back of his head that this guy was making this shit up. He just didn't know how to go about stopping the man without hurting Tanya. He let Tanya be pulled out the door before pulling his phone out and calling Jax, explaining what was happening, and that they were going to be heading out of town. He gave a description of the car, and told Jax he was going to follow, to which Jax explained they'd meet on the edge of town and get her back.

Tanya looked up to see Tig just standing there, and she bit her lip. He believed Joe. She shook her head and sniffled as she was pushed into the car, the door slamming shut. She watched as the man she'd tried so hard to run from walked around and got in on the drivers side. She tried to move herself as far away from him as possible. She knew that if he got her out of town, she would probably end up in the hospital, no doubt, but it wasn't because she was mental, it was because he was going to try and break her for this. She couldn't help but feel a small sting at the fact that Tig had so easily turned on her, especially since he'd been the first to speak up when the whole club found out why she was there. She tried not to dwell on it, as she had a plan once they got back, to escape this whole mess without being hurt again, without being betrayed again. She wondered idly, if any of the others knew, or if they would have done the same thing. It didn't matter, the game was over, and she'd lost.

"You really should have learned the first time that you couldn't get far."Joe snapped as he pulled out and headed down the road.

"Just leave me alone, you won, what does it matter."

"Oh don't worry, I'm going to be leaving you alone a lot, cause I know what sorta people you've made your company these last months, and I'm sure that trash had his fill of you, and believe me, I don't have any interest in a used up thing like you."

"You think I had sex with him?"

"You think I'm stupid enough to think otherwise?"

"I'm a little shocked, I didn't realize that I came off as a whore."

"You are, I've always known it, that's why I married you, you're tight and easy, and it just made sense."

Tanya swallowed his words like they were vinegar, shaking her head as she continued to look out the window. She knew that she had to go through with her next plan, otherwise her life would be twice the hell it had been before. She reached up and wiped the tears off her cheek and bit her lip. She might have done a lot of things to get away from him, but she had never cheated, that had never been her style. She couldn't say it was a bad thing that he thought she cheated, it meant that he wouldn't corner her into sleeping with him anymore, it meant no more pretending she was enjoying herself just for the sake of not being hit again. She kept herself quiet, not paying attention to anything around her. She just wanted to be done with all this, and she would be, soon enough. She would do what she had to in order to get away from this man, even if it meant doing the unthinkable and taking her own life. It seemed like the only out she was going to get however, if people could be so easily swayed to believe he was nothing more then a worried husband looking for his lost crazy wife.


	7. Chapter 7

Tanya tried to make herself seem as calm as possible. She was furious at Tig, at the fact that he'd given in so easily to Joe. She was appalled and saddened by the fact that Tig believed this evil man. She shrugged it off. She couldn't take those things back, so she would just have to do what was needed when she had a moment alone. That could be awhile, she was aware, because Joe would be forever on edge that she would attempt this again. She glanced over at the man that had, in the most basic term, destroyed her life. She frowned a bit and looked out the windshield, letting face once more become neutral. She couldn't let him see how much this had got to her. That would be letting him win.

"Seriously, you thought that would work?"Joe finally asked after several long minutes of silence.

"Does it matter now, it didn't."She replied, as she looked down at her hands.

"You're mine, and if you think that's going to change because of some white trash bikers, you're as stupid as you were the day I met you."Joe said, with a snort.

"I am not stupid, seriously, I don't understand you sometimes."Tanya hissed, rolling her eyes,"If I'm so worthless, why waste ten years of your life on me, since clearly in your head you could do better."

"I could never do better then you Tanya."Joe muttered, sounding almost affectionate as he spoke,"You are the love of my life, and I simply want to protect you from all the dirty things in this world."

"I, oh wow."Tanya said, and shook her head, looking out the passenger window,"The only thing you should protect me from is your temper."

"I never meant to hurt you, I wish I could take all of it back, but I can't."Joe spoke, his voice soft as he glanced towards Tanya,"But almost losing you, not knowing if you were alive or dead, it's made me rethink everything, and I want to show you that I can love you endlessly."

"Joe, that's not possible,"Tanya said with a laugh,"We can't just start over after ten years of this."

"We can, we're both still young, we could, I want to, I want to show you that I love you."Joe pleaded, a small sad looking frown on his face.

"No, Joe,"She said, shaking her head, tears filling her eyes,"I don't want that, I want this marriage to be over, I don't love you anymore."

"Why?"Joe asked, narrowing his eyes,"Because of that thing in your house, what could he give you that I can't?"

"Nothing, who says I even want him, I don't want anyone, I want to be free, I want to be alone."Tanya answered, sighing,"I want to just be alone, for a very long time."

"I'm your husband, you can't even give me the respect of trying?"Joe responded, sounding irritated,"I've given you the best home, you always get the things that you want, that you need, you never go without, so we've had a few downs in the last years, that can't be fixed?"

Tanya opened her mouth to give him an ear full of the down side of the last few years when a loud roar of engines caught her attention. There were bikes lined across the road at the city limits of Charming. All the men had their guns up and ready, aiming right at the vehicle that Joe was driving. Her eyes went wide, and her breath caught in her throat. Tig hadn't believed Joe at all, he was just playing along. Her heart skipped a beat, and she had to shrug it off as the SUV came to an abrupt halt, causing Tanya to fall forward into the dashboard, her hands coming out to catch herself. Joe didn't look overly pleased, but that wasn't going to damper Tanya's mood right in this moment. She quickly unbuckled herself, and was moving towards the door, wanting to jump out of this thing and just run towards that line of bikes. She had the door half way open and was nearly out when Joe reached over and grabbed a hand full of her hair, yanking her back, causing a small whimper to slip from her lips. He wasn't going to make this easy at all. Her heart was racing, with both fear and anticipation. She had to get away from him, otherwise Jax and the others couldn't do what needed to be done. She wasn't sure how she was going to do that right now though, she was caught, Joe still yanking her back, wanting her inside the vehicle where he could do whatever he had to.

"Did you know about this?"Joe asked, glaring at Tanya as he finally let go of her hair.

"No."She replied, keeping her answer simple, as she pulled away from him, hand still on the door of the vehicle, glaring right back at him.

"I will run them down if I had to."

"I think the guns might stop you."She muttered, grinning,"You can't win this time."

"It's not about winning,"Joe snapped, snarling his lip,"It's about taking my wife home, where she belongs."

"I don't belong anywhere or to anyone."Tanya cried out, her eyes wide as she started to move towards the door again,"That's what you can't understand, I am not property, and if I choose, I can walk away from this marriage, from you, from everything, my life is not for you to control."

She made her move, while he was distracted, though she did feel a little guilty at the look on his face. He seemed genuinely hurt, and she couldn't understand it. Ten years of knocking her around, controlling who she spoke to, where she went, what she watched on television and the music she was allowed to enjoy, the clothing she was allowed to wear, and now, he is acting as if it was all out of love. She shook the thoughts away, she couldn't believe for a minute that he cared, that he wanted to start over. The venom of doubt could not leak into her veins and make her stop running. She would then be dead. She managed to get out of the SUV, stumbling back a bit, and nearly falling, before turning, looking towards the group standing there, blocking the way out of Charming. She took a deep breath and started walking, ignoring the sound of the car door shutting behind her, signaling that Joe was now in pursuit. She took a deep breath, and looked to the ground, before back up at the men standing there, guns all aimed in what most would think of, as her. She knew better, they were aimed at the man following her.

"Tanya, stop."Joe called, his voice almost pleading with her,"I love you, I just want you to come home."

"Leave 'er be, or yer dead."Chibs called, answering for Tanya, snarling his lip,"Ya can't take 'er home, she ain't yers no more."

A loud bike coming from behind made Tanya pause. She knew who it was without even looking. She had to look though, she couldn't help it. She had thought he was just going to let Joe take her back, that he had believed what the man had sold him. Instead, he had simply played along, and managed to come up with a back up plan. She turned and watched as Tig parked his bike, and climbed off, tossing his helmet down on the seat. She could see his fingers flicking, as his hand moved towards the knife that rested on his hip. She swallowed hard, and shook her head. Tig was going to kill him. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She wanted to watch, but part of her wanted to just start running, get as far away from that as possible. If she wasn't a witness to the murder, then she couldn't be pressured into talking if the cops found out.

"Tig, don't."Jax called out, causing the man to take pause,"Not here, man."

"Not here what?"Joe asked, turning on his heel as he came face to face with Tig,"You again, you don't get it do you,"

"No, I understand perfectly."Tig replied, staring down at the man with his bright blue eyes,"I understand that you have broken something that was otherwise perfect, and now you wish to hide this broken thing away in case someone finds out your a little less than innocent."

"I've done nothing wrong."Joe snapped, snarling his lip,"You and your butt buddies need to back off, and let me take my wife home."

Tanya frowned as she watched Tig and Joe. Joe was several inches shorter then Tig, and not nearly as terrifying. She blinked as she felt a hand on her shoulder, glancing up to see that it was Opie, letting her know that she was now safe. She moved just slightly behind them, just in case they decided to do something, that would keep her from being trampled. She then looked down at the ground. She wanted this to be over. She didn't care at this point if it meant killing Joe. She just wanted to know that he wouldn't be popping back into her life to attempt and convince everyone that they were perfectly happy before. She knew the truth, the scars hidden under her clothing told a different story. She shook the thoughts away and looked up. Joe had took several steps back, trying to put some distance between himself and Tig. Probably the smartest thing he'd done since arriving in Charming.

"Listen, Joe."Tig hissed,"You've got two options here, so listen well."

"Yeah, and what's that?"Joe snapped back, narrowing his eyes.

"You either leave Charming, you get in that SUV, and you drive, and go as far as you damn well are able, and don't turn your ass around for anything."Tig growled,"Or I'm going to tear you apart, and I'm going to start by cutting off your dick and shoving it up your ass."

"I'm not leaving without Tanya."Joe said, holding his head up high,"I love her, and I want to make things right, I'm aware that I haven't been perfect, that I've messed up, and I want to fix it."

"She made her choice, she's not going back with you, and if you try and force her, I'll make you wish your mother had swallowed."Tig spoke, his voice suddenly quite calm as he watched Joe,"She ain't yours no more."

"You think you've got a say in what happens to her?"Joe asked, smirking,"She'll just push you down too, push you to your limits, and then some, and then, when it suits her, she'll run, and tell everyone what a horrible man you were in return."

"The difference between you and me pal,"Tig replied, smirking right back,"Is that when I get pushed to my limits, I don't leave evidence behind, and you're about to push to far."

Joe frowned and shook his head. He took a deep breath, his hands clenching into fists as he watched the other before him. He was going to do something stupid if he didn't calm down, but this man was infuriating. Joe reached up, and before he could think about it, he brought his fist into contact with Tig's face, watching as the other stumbled back in surprise. Joe grinned, but that instantly turned into a scowl and a small grunt as Tig regained himself and with open arms, tackled Joe to the ground. Tanya watched, her eyes wide, her face a little pale, as the two men started to literally beat the living hell out of each other. Joe managed to land another punch to Tig's face, in which the other responded by spitting blood in Joe's face. Jax, Chibs, and Happy were all moving forward to separate them as quickly as possible before this got to far out of hand.

"Stop."Jax yelled, grabbing Tig under his arms, and yanking the best he could, the man being nearly a dead weight.

Chibs got in between the two men, as Tig was finally pulled away, and as Joe went to get up and move towards Tig, ready to keep this fight going, Happy grabbed a hold of him, and yanked him back, nearly pulling him off his feet. The three men held on to the two, until there was nothing but ragged breaths and snarls of lips. Jax glanced towards Chibs, and then over to where Opie stood, Tanya standing right behind him. They needed to do something with this man before Tig ended up in prison.

"Joe, you were given your choices."Jax finally spoke after several moments of silence,"Get out of town, and sign the divorce papers when they're sent your way, or you will end up dead."

"None of you white trash pieces of shit can tell me what to do."Joe snapped back,"I'm not leaving without my wife, and if you kill me, well, you'll have bigger problems on your hands."

"Trust me, your threats aren't that scary."

"They will be when my boss comes looking for me."

"Then let him come, like I said, we're not scared of petty threats."

Joe yanked himself from Happys grip, and shook his head. He glanced towards Tanya, who was just watching, lips parted as if she wanted to say something, anything, that would end this for good. He then looked back towards Jax, and Tig, shrugging just slightly. He wasn't leaving without Tanya. He looked down at the ground, the whole group silent as they waited, wondering what would happen next.

"I guess I end up dead."Joe finally spoke,"Because I'm not going anywhere."

Tanya swallowed hard as she watched Happy grab Joe once more, yanking him nearly to his knees, and practically dragging him back towards the SUV. She wanted to scream, to make this not happen. She wanted Joe out of her life, at first, she thought him being dead was the best option, the only option. Now, as the thought of him actually dying, actually being killed, was being thrown in her face so quickly, she started to doubt her thoughts before. She wasn't even sure this was worth it. She didn't think it was worth the risk of one of them, or nearly all of them, ending up in prison. She bit her lip and shook her head, taking a step backwards. Were they going to do it here?

"Listen, we're taking Tanya back to the garage."Jax spoke, as he watched Happy shove Joe against the SUV,"You've got an hour, you still think this is what you want, you think this is the smart decision, come there, if not, well I guess this is goodbye."

Tanya let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. They weren't going to do it here. She blinked and looked down at her hands, they were shaking like leaves in a hurricane. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to witness someone dying. She heard someone calling her name, and glanced up to see that it was Tig, motioning for her towards his bike. She almost shook her head, then glanced around at the others, getting on their bikes, helmets on, taking off towards the garage and clubhouse. She finally rolled her eyes a bit and started towards Tig, glancing every so often towards Joe, who hadn't moved. When she got to Tig, she frowned, and without thinking much of it, reached over to check the cuts and bruises on his face where he'd been hit during the fight.

"It's nothing, I'm fine."Tig told her, before she could even let the question slip her lips,"Hop on, so we can get outta here."

Tanya just sighed, and climbed on, wrapping her arms around his torso. She closed her eyes as the bike started and they took off down the road. It didn't take long until they were back at Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair, and when the bike was shut off, she climbed off, looking around for a moment, and then over to Tig. He had been furious back there, and it was terrifying. She scrunched her nose a bit and shrugged it off, wondering what she was suppose to do for an hour other then roll around the idea of watching Joe get shot to death in her head. Tig stepped up behind her, reaching up and touching her shoulder just lightly, causing Tanya to jump in response, as she glanced up at him. He gave her a crooked smile, dried blood causing it to look almost menacing, when any other time, she'd be waiting for him to attempt to ask her out for dinner, or ask if he could come home with her. Not this time though.

"Are you sure you're okay?"She asked, after the silence became to much for her.

"Yeah,"He confirmed, giving her shoulder a light squeeze, before taking off towards the clubhouse.

Tanya stood there for a moment, just watching as Tig disappeared inside. She then glanced up at the sky, dark clouds rolling in and threatening the area with rain. She smiled a bit, rain sounded nice. She might just dance in it this time. She then thought for a moment about what these big bad bikers would think about her just dancing around the parking lot like a mad woman. The idea of what their faces would look like made her snort a bit out loud, as she started towards the clubhouse. Once inside, she sat down by herself, watching as everyone talked and went on like nothing had happened. It was so strange how they could do that, and Tanya secretly wished she had the same ability to just shove things aside for a moment. She didn't though, and that was nearly as annoying as the idea of being able to.

The hour seemed to drag on forever, and she wasn't sure it would ever end. Finally, as she looked up at the clock, the time had come. In just a few minutes or so, either Joe would arrive, or he wouldn't. Tanya had a feeling though, that he would, if only out of spite, or determination, she wasn't sure which. She had no clue what he was talking about with his boss, she knew he had a lot of powerful connections, but when you run a construction company, that tends to happen. She bit her lip, and prayed that he just left, that he didn't come to die, raining some seventh level of hell down on this little town because of the people he knew. A honking of a horn however, told Tanya everything she needed to know. He wasn't going to just leave, and that meant that he died, and then, who knew what would happen next, because his threat might have real truth behind it, though Tanya wasn't sure. She slowly stood, and watched as the others did as well, all heading for the door, all seeming to hope it was Gemma or Tara, and not the person they expected it to be. There was no such luck however, as everyone spilled out, Joe climbed out of the SUV, looking determined as he walked towards them. Tanya frowned at the man and shook her head, stupid boy. In the end, that's all he was, a boy in a man's body, constantly needing control and power to feel like he was worth something. She watched as one of the men, she didn't know his name, walked over, and pulled the gates closed, making it so the outside world couldn't see what was about to happen.

Tanya couldn't explain what happened next. She wanted to put it all together, but it just wasn't happening. She watched as Happy stepped forward with a gun in his hands. There was a silencer on the end, and as Joe stood there, Happy lifted the gun, waiting for a moment, to see if the man would change his mind, or if he was going to put up a fight. Joe didn't move.

"You really want to die over this?"Jax finally asked, glancing towards Happy who was more then eager to pull the trigger.

"Yes, now get it over with, if you're serious."

Happy didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times, then a fourth, just to be sure. Two in Joe's head, and the other two in his chest. He almost instantly slumped to the ground, his body still, blood pooling around him. Tanya just stared at the bloody body. She stared at the holes in his head, the way his eyes stared up at the sky. She suddenly felt dizzy, her vision getting a little blurry, her breathing labored as she just sat on the ground, staring. She thought she was going to pass out. The air around them was silent, as thunder cracked across the sky, lightning making the whole world seem bright for a moment, making the pale dead body seem as if it might move at any moment. Then the rain came. It started as a few sprinkles, and then suddenly, it was everywhere, soaking everything in its path. Everyone was moving to cover and move the body, needing to dump it quickly before anyone showed up and the whole thing went to hell in a hand basket. Tanya didn't move. She couldn't. She had never seen anyone die before, and never in such a gruesome manner. She was in shock, she was aware of this, and yet, her body would not allow her to make a move to correct it. She simply remained, still, on the concrete, somewhere between this world and the world of darkness that threatened to over take her.


End file.
